LETTER: In support of the homeless effort

Palm Coast Observer
Opinion

Have sympathy for homeless; follow Jacksonville’s lead

Dear Editor:
Some weeks ago I wrote a letter to the editor asking why the community couldn't come up with an answer for homes for the homeless. I referred to the unused hospital for a possible site for a homeless shelter where the users would use their little income to "fix up" a place to live until things got better. I am glad that Bunnell is taking steps to look for solutions, according to the April 10 edition of the Palm Coast Observer.

I was surprised by some of the attitudes expressed in the article. Put yourself in their place! We are talking about "people" here, not city beautification or property values going down or any other "thing"! What part of "homeless" do people not understand? If they can't sleep in the woods, or on the beach, or in a car, or under a bridge, where are they going to sleep? Eat? Bathe? Dress? Yes, some of the homeless may be people with other problems in addition to being homeless, but they still are people, and they need a place to live!

I applaud those involved with the Sheltering Tree. They are reaching out with love and compassion to help those who need it. I would like to see their work enlarged to be able to do more for the homeless.

I would like to suggest a possible solution for the problem: For years I have helped support the City Rescue Mission in Jacksonville, simply because they have people from all strata of society involved, and they genuinely care for people. They do a tremendous job of helping people get back on their feet, overcome addictions, and be trained in the job field so they can live a good, productive life.

Could someone from Bunnell make a trip to Jacksonville and speak with the people who keep this program functioning so well? I know there are good people here and members of many churches who would work together to accomplish something to help the homeless. There are many food programs in this county, and I'm sure they would work together if they had one central location. In this affluent country, it is unbelievable that there are homeless people in our streets! It will take a community or city genuinely caring for others and working together to accomplish something like this, but I feel that the good people of Flagler County are up taking care of the homeless situation in our county.

Betty Williams
Palm Coast

Low-income housing a bad idea for Town Center

Dear Editor:
The April 17 edition of the Palm Coast Observer reported that our County Commission granted approval for the Volusia County Housing Finance Authority to build a 117-unit multifamily project for low- to moderate-income families in our Town Center. That will certainly create more problems for us.

Flagler County has the highest number of unemployed people in the state already living here. They do not need more under and unemployed people lured here to compete for the scarce jobs.

The commission wanted to do this in April of 2011. Because the economy was bad they wanted to change their Town Center plan. Instead of having tax-paying homes built, and then some low-income senior and multiplex apartments, they wanted to reverse that. They said the people from the low-income project walking to the stores, the park and the movies would help the economy. I wrote an opinion on April 11, 2011, pointing out that no one would build a taxpaying home next to a low-income project. They couldn't just leave out the most important part of the original plan.

It would make more sense to have the low-income senior complex there. The seniors would benefit from being able to walk to the stores and movies without driving away the other county residents. Taxpayers would probably still want to build homes there.

The commissioners are not serving the interests of the county taxpayers. Both the county and Palm Coast leaders should rethink this multifamily housing project idea.

I hope there is something someone can do to stop it. The Town Center is just starting to be something. It would be a shame for it to deteriorate before it ever developed.

Jean Sbertoli
Flagler Beach

Editor’s Note: Just to clarify, the apartment complex is being built by a private developer, not by the county or the city. The city does not determine whether it’s low-income — that’s the developer’s option to pursue. The design will need to be approved by the city, however.

Response to three previous letters

Dear Editor:
I concur with Mr. George Hibbard. If teachers don’t want their salary based on performance, they should be dismissed (union or no union). I worked in industry for 30-plus years, and if I didn’t do my job, I didn’t only not get a raise, I would be fired! Teachers should see to it that their students get educated That is why they are there.

Let me say that I also agree with the arguments by Douglas R. Glover in the same issue. Only idiots want more tax money to do less work.

I agree with Bonnie C. Bellin that Mr. Draper should serve a much greater sentence, but don’t blame the National Rifle Association. It is the judicial system, including both judges and lawyers, that lets the criminals go with a slap on the wrist. We should start holding their feet to the fire. Plea bargains should be constrained to only turning state’s evidence to convict a higher level or more criminals, and should be based on getting them convicted. The plea bargain reduction should never be for more than 1/4 of the original prescribed sentence.

Jesse Stoner
Palm Coast